Occupational risks and pregnancy and infant health outcomes in Florida farmworkers

The agricultural industry has some of the highest incidence rates and numbers of occupational injuries and illnesses in the United States. Injuries and illnesses in agriculture result from accidents, falls, excessive heat, repetitive motion and adverse pesticide exposure. Women working in agricultur...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal of environmental research and public health 2014-08, Vol.11 (8), p.7820-7840
Main Authors: Runkle, Jennifer, Flocks, Joan, Economos, Jeannie, Tovar-Aguilar, J Antonio, McCauley, Linda
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Adult
Agriculture
Community-Based Participatory Research
Cross-Sectional Studies
Farmworkers
Female
Florida
Health risk assessment
Health Status
Humans
Infant
Infant, Newborn
Maternal & child health
Occupational health
Occupational Health - statistics & numerical data
Parturition
Pregnancy
Reproductive Health
Retrospective Studies
Risk Factors
Self Report
Young Adult
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Summary:The agricultural industry has some of the highest incidence rates and numbers of occupational injuries and illnesses in the United States. Injuries and illnesses in agriculture result from accidents, falls, excessive heat, repetitive motion and adverse pesticide exposure. Women working in agriculture are exposed to the same hazards and risks as their male counterparts, but can face additional adverse impacts on their reproductive health. Yet, few occupational risk assessment studies have considered the reproductive health of female farmworkers. The objective of this community-based participatory research study was to conduct a retrospective, cross-sectional survey to collect information on workplace conditions and behaviors and maternal, pregnancy and infant health outcomes among a sample of female nursery and fernery farmworkers in Central Florida. Survey results showed that nursery workers were more likely to report health symptoms during their pregnancy than fernery workers. We also observed a self-reported increased risk of respiratory illness in the first year of life for infants whose mothers worked in ferneries. Our findings confirm that agricultural work presents potential reproductive hazards for women of childbearing age.
ISSN:1660-4601
1661-7827
1660-4601
DOI:10.3390/ijerph110807820